Amphibian propulsion mechanism



Jan. 22, 1946. v

AMPHIBIAN PROPULSION MECHANISM Filed Jan. 8, 1942y l ZZ Z5 Patented Jan. 22, 1946 2,393,368-f'f1 i i' EL Flix@ AMPHIBIAN PROPULSION MECHANISM James M. Hait, San Gabriel, Calif., assignor to Food Machinery Corporation, San Jose, Calif., 'a corporation of Delaware Application January 8, 1942, Serial No. 426,032

5 Claims.

This invention relates to amphibian craft and particularly to propulsion mechanism functioning to support and propel said craft when traveling on land and to propel said craft through th water when it is afloat.

It is customary in military tank construction to propel these with a track laying mechanism in.. cluding a track for-ming chain or belt', which for convenience will hereinafter be referred to by the generic term traction belt. In seeking to adapt this belt for use'by amphibians it has been found that amphibian grousers, to have maximum hydrodynamic efciency, need to be spaced on centers which leaves intervening portions of the belt inadequately supported.

It is an object of this invention to provide an amphibian propulsion mechanism in which the aforesaid belt is utilized and yet adequate support is given to all portions of the belt.

'I'he manner of accomplishing the foregoing object, as well as further objects and advantages, will be made manifest in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational View of a preferred embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. 1

Referring specifically to the drawing, the propulsion mechanism I disclosed therein includes an endless traction belt II which is adapted to be supported for endless movement on an amphibian craft, the latter having bogie wheels I2 which rideon the belt so as to support the craft when it is traveling on land.

The belt II includes two endless tracks I3 formed of rubber, two series of endless cables I4,

two endless series of clamps I5, said cables and clamps being imbedded in the rubber tracks I3 and being united by stud bolts I6 and Il. The latter bolts also extend through and bind an endless series of guide members I8 to the clamps I5. The stud bolts I6 and I'I have alternate clamps I provided on base plates 20 of grousers 2l and the balance of the stud bolts are mounted on intermediate plates 22.

As clearly shown in Fig. 1, the base plates 20 have downwardly bent end portions forming lips 25 to accommodate the intermediate plates 22. While the grousers 2l are preferably made of steel, the intermediate plates 22- may be of aluminum to save weight.

Each of the grousers 2| includes and impeller blade 30 formed integral with the base plate 20 and shaped so as to not only give a maximum elciency when the amphibian is afloat to provide -propulsive thrust for impelllng the craft through the water, but also to provide a rigid support for the belt II and the amphibian when the latter istraveling on land.

The Weight of the amphibian equipped with the mechanisms I 0 is carried on the bogie wheels I2 during land travel, these wheels in turn resting on the tracks I3. When one of these wheels is disposed inA between an adjacent pair of the grousers 2l, it depresses the tracks I3 so as to bring the intermediate plate 22 therebeneath into contact with the adjacent lips 25 of adjacent grousers 2|.

When not directly beneath one of the bogie wheels I2, each of the plates 2I is lifted by the belt II, expanding to its normal position, thereby leaving adequate free space between this plate n 22 and the adjacent lips 25 to allow articulation when the belt I I passes through an angle as when traveling past the leading bogie Wheel I2.

The term rubber as used herein and in the claims is to be understood as including not only that material chemically known as rubber, but also all suitable equivalents therefor.

What I claim is:

1. In an amphibian propulsion mechanism, the combination of: an endless traction belt; bogie wheel means rolling on said belt and supporting said amphibian; an endless series of grousers secured to said belt in spaced relation with each other; and an endless series of intermediate plates secured to said belt and having their opposite edges overlapping adjacent edges of said grousers,

said grousers and plates thus cooperating to support said belt to provide a continuous and substantially smooth track for said amphibian to ride upon when traveling on land.

2. In an amphibian propulsion mechanism, the combination of: an endless belt including an endless rubber track means, endless cable reinforcements imbedded therein, an endless series of clamps clamping certain cables and imbedded in said track means; bogie wheel means rolling on said belt and supporting said amphibian; an endless series of grousers secured to alternate clamps; and an endless series of intermediate plates secured to the balance of said clamps, said intermediate plates overlapping adjacent grousers, said grousers and plates thus cooperating to support said belt to provide a continuous and substantially smooth track for said amphibian to ride uponrwhen traveling on land.

3. A combination as in claim 2 in which decombination of: an endless traction belt; bogie-Jr` wheel means rolling on said belt and supporting said amphibian; an endless series of grousers secured to said belt in spaced relation with each other; and an endless series of intermediate plates secured to said belt and having their opposite edges overlapping adjacent edges of said grousers, said grouser edges being recessed to receive said plate edges so that said grousers and plates unite to sup'port said'belt to forma substantially smooth track for saidanphibian toride upon 'when trav-I eling on land.

JAMES M. HAIT. 

